Embodiments herein generally relate to electrostatographic printers and copiers or reproduction machines, and more particularly, concerns a method that uses complexity factor time values to detail how each of the complexity factors contributed to the time it took to process the print job.
One embodiment herein comprises a method that receives a print job and analyzes the complexity of the print job to generate complexity factors. For example, the method can provide the user with an input choice that determines whether to perform the print job analysis of the embodiments herein. The analyzing of the print job comprises examining the print job for items such as: paper media changes; simplex/duplex changes; number of fonts called; number of fonts changed; and number and size of graphical objects, number, size, and type of digitized images, etc.
The method performs raster image processing (RIP) on the print job and records the time taken to perform the raster image processing of each page of the print job. This generates “RIP times.” In addition, the method records the size of each page of the print job to generate “page sizes.”
Then, the method prints the print job and records the time it took to process the print job. The method determines how each of the complexity factors, the RIP times, and the page sizes contributed to the time it took to process the print job. This generates “complexity factor time values.” The method prints a report of the complexity factor time values detailing how each of the complexity factors contributed to the time it took to process the print job.
In addition, the method can maintain the complexity factor time values within at least one forecast table. This allows embodiments herein to forecast a specific time that it will take to process a specific print job having specific complexity factors. This forecasting is based on the complexity factor time values within the forecast table.
In addition to method embodiments, this disclosure also presents apparatus embodiments. One such apparatus embodiment is a printing apparatus that includes a processor within the printing apparatus. The apparatus also includes a computer-readable storage medium operatively connected to the processor. The computer-readable storage medium stores instructions executable by the processor to allow the processor to control the apparatus operations and perform the analysis discussed herein. Further, the apparatus includes at least one input/output operatively connected to the processor. The input/output receives a print job and the processor analyzes the complexity of the print job to generate complexity factors. The input/output can comprise a user input to determine whether to perform the analysis herein.
The processor also performs raster image processing of the print job. The processor records the time taken to perform the raster image processing of each page of the print job to the generate RIP times. In addition, the processor records the size of each page of the print job to generate page sizes.
A printing engine is included within the apparatus to print the print job. The processor records the time it took to process the print job and determines how each of the complexity factors, the RIP times, and the page sizes contributed to the time to process the print job. This generates the complexity factor time values. When analyzing the print job, the processor examines the print job for items such as: paper media changes; simplex/duplex changes; number of fonts called; number of fonts changed; and number and size of graphical objects, number, size, and type of digitized images. The printing engine can then output (print) a report for the user along with the print job. The report lists of the complexity factor time values detailing how each of the complexity factors contributed to the time to process the print job.
Further, the processor can maintain the complexity factor time values within at least one forecast table. This allows the processor to forecast a specific time that it will take to process a specific print job having specific complexity factors. This forecast is based on the complexity factor time values within the forecast table.
These and other features are described in, or are apparent from, the following detailed description.